Aging Reduces Overactive Immune Genes, Leading to Improvement in Lupus Symptoms in Older Adults

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have uncovered a fascinating link between aging and the progression of systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). Their study reveals that certain antiviral and inflammatory genes become less active as individuals with lupus grow older, which may explain why some patients experience symptom improvement later in life.

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system erroneously attacks the body's own tissues, with interferons—key proteins involved in antiviral defense—playing a significant role. The condition can affect multiple organs, including the kidneys and heart, leading to serious complications.

Interestingly, while autoimmune diseases often worsen with age, lupus tends to improve in many patients in their 60s and 70s. Dr. Sarah Patterson, an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF, notes that many older lupus patients are monitored less frequently because their disease activity diminishes over time.

The team’s study, published in Science Translational Medicine, examined blood samples from lupus patients across different age groups. They discovered that aging suppresses the activity of specific immune-related genes, resulting in reduced levels of interferons and other inflammatory proteins. This phenomenon counters the typical 'inflammaging' process observed in healthy aging, where inflammation gradually increases. In lupus patients, inflammation-related gene expression was abnormally high during midlife but declined with age.

This reduction suggests a reversal of inflammatory signaling pathways, leading to a calmer immune response in older individuals. However, despite the decrease, lupus patients still exhibit higher inflammatory activity compared to healthy seniors.

The findings open up new avenues for treatment approaches, such as exploring whether drugs that block interferons could be more or less effective depending on patient age. The researchers also aim to investigate if similar mechanisms could influence other chronic inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or atherosclerosis.

Understanding how aging modulates immune activity in lupus could be key to developing age-tailored therapies and improving patient outcomes later in life.

For more details, see the original study: Science Translational Medicine.